TILI Automation

 We use relays for a wide range of applications such as home automation, cars and bikes (automobiles), industrial applications, DIY Projects, test and measurement equipment, and many more. But what is Relay? How a Relay Works? What are the Applications of Relays? Let us explore more about relays in this guide. What is a Relay? A Relay is a simple electromechanical switch. While we use normal switches to close or open a circuit manually, a Relay is also a switch that connects or disconnects two circuits. But instead of a manual operation, a relay uses an electrical signal to control an electromagnet, which in turn connects or disconnects another circuit. Relays can be of different types like electromechanical, solid state. Electromechanical relays are frequently used. Let us see the internal parts of this relay before knowing about it working. Although many different types of relay were present, their working is same. Every electromechanical relay consists of an consists of an Elect...

 Grounding is an important part of any electrical system. A properly grounded system will save lives from electric shocks and also protects devices/equipment. But what exactly is Grounding? What is the need for Grounding? Are there different types of Grounding? If so, what are they? Let us explore the essentials of Grounding/Earthing. What is Grounding? Grounding (in US) or Earthing (in UK) is a process of connecting electrical systems, appliances and metal enclosure to ground. Here, ground refers to the physical connection to Earth which acts as a reference point and also a return path for current. The main purpose of grounding is to provide a low resistance path for electricity to flow. We can implement the connection to ground with the help of a grounding electrode. This way, we can keep all the non-current-carrying conductors such as metal frame/housing of a computer, washer, drier, electric drill etc. at 0V potential. A typical grounding system consists of two parts. In the fi...

 You love playing music, and your speakers are the best part of the home theatre system. But lying speaker wires often become an eyesore and health hazard. You cannot do without a good speaker, but who does want the wires that damage the interior design? On top of that, the wires often become a threat to your safety. A lot of people often trip on the wires accidentally and injure themselves. Additionally, these wires often accumulate dust and dirt and impose challenges during the cleaning. But, there are different ways to prevent such eyesores. You can use different methods to hide the wires from plain sight so that the room does not lose its appeal and remains safe. These are different ways to hide wires, even if you need to run the wires through different rooms. Are you interested? Then read on to learn the ideas that help you hide the speaker wires. Solution to How to Hide Speaker Wire 1. Use your Existing Room Decor Suppose you are not ready to spend money on different ways and...

 IoT is a trending topic for the best part of the last decade or so. It is a network of a number of devices that can communicate with each other and control a bunch of things. The communication part is where MQTT comes into play. It helps in sending/receiving messages between “IoT” devices in a publish – subscribe model. But what is MQTT? How it Works? Why we use MQTT in IoT Projects? We will get answers to all these questions regarding MQTT in this guide. An important note before we proceed further is that this guide is just the theory behind MQTT but not a practical implementation. If you are interested, we can make a few IoT Projects involving MQTT that includes how to setup MQTT. What is MQTT? Internet of Things or IoT is simply a combination of computing devices, sensors, actuators, wireless communication and communication protocols. The goal of IoT is to connect a group of devices (known as ‘things’) to the internet and exchange data between them. Now imagine we have setup an...

 We live in an analog World with digital ways of communication, convenience and data processing. So, there is an underlying task of converting data from one domain to the other i.e., from analog to digital or vice-versa all the time. We call these data converters as Analog to Digital Converters (ADC) or Digital to Analog Converters (DAC). In this guide, let us focus on the analog to digital converters, see how a simple ADC works and what are the different types of ADC Circuit Designs. This is not an in-depth guide on Analog to Digital Converters and different types of ADCs but rather a brief introductory discussion on some important types of ADC Circuits. Analog to Digital Conversion is a huge and fascinating subject on its own and if you are interested, we can make a series of guides on individual ADC Circuit that we mentioned here. Importance of Analog to Digital Conversion What is an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC)? It is a device or circuit that convert analog data (a continu...

 Many people consider soldering iron and soldering gun as the same thing. But do you know they are different? Well, if you didn’t and want to know, we can help. In this article, you’ll find a detailed comparison between a soldering iron and a soldering gun. You’ll also find which item is used for what purpose. So, if you’re interested, let’s begin the Soldering Iron vs. Soldering Gun comparison. Soldering Iron Vs. Soldering Gun: Definition Soldering Iron: You can think of soldering iron as a hand tool. As the name tells, it is used for soldering purposes. It is an electric equipment that heats the tip to melt the solder to join two work pieces. There’s typically a solder tip and a plastic handle involved in a soldering iron. Soldering Gun: A soldering gun operates much like a pistol. Similar to the soldering iron, the soldering gun is also electrically powered. It uses a tin-based solder for joining metal surfaces with good electrical contact. It’s in the shape of a gun and uses a ...

 Whether it is for Christmas decoration or for parties or even for year-round home/garden decoration, fairy lights are one of the easy, best and fancy way to light-up the mood. Fairy Lights are nothing but series or string lights that some people call the Christmas Lights or Decorative Lights. But if you are wondering how to hang fairy lights, then this guide is for you. We will see couple of easy ways to hang them from walls and ceiling and also how to secure them properly. Introduction An important routine for many households during the holiday season is to decorate their beautiful homes with lights. A fancy name for these decorative lights is Fairy Lights. Whenever we talk about these lights, we usually picture them with a warm color tone as early generations of Christmas lights were incandescent. But with modern LED lighting picking up the pace even for decoration lights, we can now get different styles/color tones such as cool white, warm white, color, and RGB. You can get the...

The introduction of solar lights has made people save money. Solar lights can be perfect to light up your outdoor space. Even though it is expensive, it is an environmentally friendly option and will let you save money in the future. However, the question is how long solar lights last. It all depends upon the quality as well as how well you take care of them. In this article, we will discuss how long solar lights last and ways to make solar lights last longer. How Long is the Lifespan of Solar Lights? The lifespan of solar lights varies accordingly. When it comes to LEDs, they can last for at least a decade. When the solar lights are not illuminating, it will let you know when to change the parts. However, when it comes to the battery, it may last from three to four years. Following that, you will have to get a replacement battery. Do note that many factors can impact the longevity of solar lights. Be it their placement or maintaining cleanliness, all these contribute to the lifespan o...

 Getting that perfect lighting color in your home is very important as it can look visually appealing, creates an ambiance and brings out good mood and energy. Since scientists started using Color Temperature as a measure of the color of light, we got a number in Kelvin (such as 2700K or 5000K) in the specifications of the light. Two such popular color temperatures are 3000K, which is slightly warmer and 4000K, which is less warm than 3000K. In this guide, we will try to understand 3000K and 4000K Color Temperatures, compare and find the differences between them an also see where to use 3000K vs 4000K lighting. We already made a similar comparison but with respect to other popular color temperatures i.e., 4000K and 5000K. If you are interested to find the differences and use cases, then read the 4000K vs 5000K Color Temperature Comparison Guide. A Brief Note on Color Temperatures Using temperature to define the color of the light is a popular (and scientific) method. This is becaus...

 Even though we do not use LED Strip Lights as main lighting in our homes and offices, they are useful for several other purposes such as decoration, highlighting, ambient etc. RGB LED Strips with a tiny remote control are very popular and cheap. But there is a new type of LED Strip known as RGBIC in the market. What is this RGBIC? How is it different from regular RGB LED Strip Lighting? Which one should you buy: RGB or RGBIC? We will find out answers to all these questions in this RGBIC vs RGB Comparison guide. A Brief Note on LED Strip Lights LED Strip Lights are nothing but a string of LED lights arranged in series on a flexible (but sometimes rigid) surface. They are extremely fashionable lighting decoration, staircase, theatre (cinema or play), holidays, hallways, cars and many more. They are available in single color options, usually different shades of white (cool, neutral and warm) and also as RGB that can display Red, Green, Blue or any combination of these primary colors....